The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1887-08-06
Harness Collars.
Harness.

Custom has much to do with the styles
of harness used and the manner of
mountings. This is shown in the use
of the collar. A man who would use
breast collar upon coupe or coach
harness would become a laughing stock
for all his neighbors, while to use
round coach collar upon trotting
horse would bespeak lack of taste and
judgment.
This adopting of fixed style for any
one kind is due in part to the study of
the requirements of the case by men
who have interested themselves in i'm
poving the horse. The trotting horse,
in order to give full action to his should
ers, works best in breast collar when
driven single, as the only strain put
upon the shoulders is the draught. But
if driven double, the pole and yoke
must be supported, and the bearing
down upon the neck requires more sup
port and a better distribution Of the
strain than can be given by the breast
collar, so light round collar is prefer
red. The making of the latter collar
is branch of business that requires
much skill if the work is to be well
done. A ring around the neck is not
what is wanted. The collar must be
more than ring. 1t must be made to
fit the horses neck. 1t should set
snugly, but not bind at any point. Iftoo
narrow in the neck it chokes the horse,
and if too wide it falls too far back and
interferes with the freedom of the
shoulders and produces permanent in
jury. 1t was long argued that soft
cushion was wanted, and that the gals
on horses were due to the bad character
of the collars. This theory seems to
have been abandoned by the most in
telligent horsemen, who now demand a
collar that is solid, smooth, and firm, and
one that fits the neck, and in order to
maintain the latter quality the names
are fitted to the collar instead of being
allowed to draw the collar out of shape,
as they will if not bent to fit.
1t is not always possible for the own
er of horse to have his neck properly
fitted, owing to the distance from the
the collar manufacturer, but he may
give such directions as will produce
we'll fitted collar. There is no fixed
rule that can be relied upon, owing to
the difference and size of horses necks.
But an old rule is to measure the height
of horse and add 5inches to the num-
Der of hands for the size of the collar.
Thus horse IS hands high would re-
quire a 20 inch collar. 1t is claimed by
some that this rule works well, and can
be relied upon except in the case fheavy
draught horses or ponies. In the absence
of collar rule, this guide is better than
none, but we think better result can
be obtained by resting the short arm OF
carpenters square upon the horses
neck where the collar rests, and allow
ing the lower end to rest upon the bear
ing line of the shoulder, and indicating
the length by the long arm ofthe square.
In addition to this, the collar maker
should know the character of the neck,
whether full or thin at three points,
top, at shoulder, and midway between
these points. For weight of collar,
give the circumference of the body at
the shoulder.
1t is claimed by some collar makers
that there is no rule which can be fol-
lowed, and they live up to their theory
by making all collars over single shap-
ed block, but the success of few men
who have made collar making a study
falsifes all such claims. There are men
in the business who obtain from 20 to
Is per cent more for their collars than
their neighbors do, simply because of
the collars fitting the horses neck prop
erly, and if one man can fit from stock
a variety of horses, we can see no
reason why another should not do the
same thing.
B@>As from the smallest seeds ger
inmate the noblest trees of the forest,
so from the lowest rounds of toll, rise
men whose influence is as worldwide
as the paths of commerce.
D@Teach self-denial and make its
practice pleasurable, and you create for
the world destiny more sublime than
ever issued from the brain of the Wild
est dreamer.
D@He who lacks strength must at
| tain his purpose by skill.